Connection Between Surf, Spirituality And Media - Speech or Presentation Example

? Connection between surf, spirituality and media Surfing is a sport in which the surfer rides the waves. In this sport the surfer rides the front face of the waves which particularly brings about the surfer to the shore of the beach. Surfing is not just any ordinary sport but it has certain spiritual connections. Surfing brings about and evokes the spirituality within individuals. Surfing helps to rejuvenate the connections and oneness with the cosmology. It helps to link the surfer with the positive energy that persists in the world. Another experience that surfers share which evokes spirituality in them is friendly relation and bond they develop for the various aquatic species that reside within the ocean. Some suffers have also reported that they have experienced communication between various aquatic species that on various occasions when they were on the shore in solitude waiting for the right moment to hit the waves. It is also assumed that the spiritual connection that surfers go through also causes them to develop a sense of responsibility in them to save and protect the marine life that resides in water. Today, many organizations have been established that help surfers to gather on a platform, make them aware of their responsibility towards the aquatic life and also to acknowledge them that the sport they play has a religious point of view too which means that surfing is not merely an experience but it has certain religious perspective. (Gallagher, 266) Some surfers who have this belief that they are doing surfing which has religious connections call themselves as 'soul surfers'. This means that they are on a religious journey through which they will achieve spiritualism. Mountaineering and surfing are two very similar sports which have some religious background that connect it to divinity. Those who incorporate this sport in their life are found to be spiritual and connected to the external supernatural forces. Nothing has been more essential than ones trip to God, or "the religious lifestyle," as many authors contact it. This is the greatest purpose for residing. This is the reason of our journey, the reason why we are created. Spirituality is all about connecting to divinity. To be able to feel and connect to the external forces of nature that has its own significance and charm. Spirituality is something within or at times is sought. These days spirituality is obtained through various means. One of them is through sports. When a surfer hits the waves, he comes in contact with the forces of nature that persist. The waves drive him to the shore. On his entire quest on the waves he is in direct contact with nature, the surfer is eventually following the course of nature. Indulging in the waves, he finds his way to the shore which portrays a real experience; a man enters this temporary and fake world. Gets involved in various activities, those who seek the path of God and patiently wait for their reward finally stand victorious like a surfer after hitting the high waves comes back to the shore same way a man continues his journey in this world and the world after. Kreeft in his essay on surfing and spirituality states that "The key elements in the symbolism are pretty clear: I, the surfer, am—myself. The body with which I surf in the sea symbolizes the soul, with which I "surf" in God. The sea is God. The beach is the approach to God. Surfing is the experience of God, or the spiritual life" (Kreeft, Surfing and spirituality). This is a very precise way to explain surfing and spirituality. Media plays a very important role when it comes to the reinforcement of sustainability as a principal part of surf mentality. This is an all-inclusivemeasure—the magazines and videos featuring professional surfers cannot be shallow and focus only on surfing. Sustainability needs to come up more frequently than once a year in the magazines, for example, in the “green” issue. Surf media affects the youth: many individuals were influenced by surfing through that. Thus, what surf-addicted kids need more is not wasteful consumerism but substance pertaining to the condition of the environment and what they can do to help. They need guidance in this field which is only possible through media which is easily accessible by all. (Sullivan, 26) An example of unproductive surf media is the film Young Guns by Quiksilver. Despite how successful this movie was for Quiksilver, the idea of taking ahelicopter, giant motor yacht, and multiple jet skis to some beautiful tropical destinationpurely to document surfing is appalling from an environmental perspective. Furthermore, notfor one moment is the local culture or ecology acknowledged. It’s an absurd waste ofresources for a way to glorify surf-stars and boost sales. Moreover, kids that idolize famous surf stars like KellySlater and Julian Wilson get little more than inspiration to be single-minded about surfingfrom the movie. If aspects such as the local ecology or culture were included, it would shapea more thoughtful viewer, and thus a more considerate consumer. The benefit of this isstimulating the viewers’ interest to preserve beautiful surfing destinations, not exploit them. (Boal, 61) On the other end of the issue, it is the responsibility of more professionals to becomerole models of ecological action. Professional surfers have a huge influence on nonprofessional surfers, especially kids. The bigger name pros are celebrities to the world ofsurfing; they no longer need to be puppets of the contest circuit or company slogans to makea living. The personalities and values of professional surfers are of great interest to thesurfing public.Many surfers have entered the free-surfing arena of the media and have supported some environmental causes. But theyrepresent an alternative perspective in surfing, which doesn’t captivate every audience. Therefore the role of media needs to be more efficient. Since surfing is not just a sport but consumes an entire concept of divinity within therefore the role of media needs to be strengthened to propagate this noble cause and spread awareness within the masses. WORKS CITED "Surfing and Spirituality by Peter Kreeft."The Official Peter Kreeft Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Read More